BhamWriter
04-22-2009, 12:17 AM
Bringing a dog to WDW causes some changes to the schedule, especially when the dog is the wife’s child (he’s my dog, but her baby). I had intended for us to go to Disney Hollywood Studios – it still seems like something with the word “Hollywood” in it should be in California – because it opened early, but the kennel wasn’t scheduled to open until 8:00. So, who was going to win out? Me or the dog? You guessed it. We opted for the Magic Kingdom instead, which opened at 9:00, so we could see Perry early in the morning.
I’m often torn between going to the early openings or going to a non-early-park, thinking that perhaps the early opening will draw enough people away from the other parks to make the crowds more bearable. Perhaps this is so when the early park is MK, but probably not when the early park is Studios and the one you’re going to is MK. The point is that the crowds were pretty heavy, or so they seemed. Yet, when I think about all we got done, the crowds must have been somewhat reasonable.
We started with POTC; only one flash went off the entire boat ride, so I count myself fortunate. Next was Splash Mountain, which remains one of my all-time favorites even after all these years. A first-timer from Albany, New York was ahead of us, and she laughed like it was the greatest thing in the world (which is close to right). With a FastPass for Big Thunder, we headed to Haunted Mansion (with a break for corn dogs along the way; great breakfast, huh?). I really love the updated version. Yes, a lot remains the same, but there’s enough new that it now seems packed with cool special effects. Small World was easy to get on, so we did it next, then Mickey’s Philharmagic. Philharmagic characterizes Disney at its best: technically outstanding, great music, lots of humor, immersive experience, mood, color, and more. It’s one of my very favorite experiences at WDW.
Finally, we went back to Big Thunder (I didn’t mind back-tracking too much since I’m trying to walk off a few of the calories from the trip). I couldn’t coax my wife onto Everest yesterday, but she tackled this wild-west extravaganza, screaming for most of it. We then took the easy way to travel, sitting comfortably in the train as it headed to ToonTown. I spotted an old codger sitting on a chair on his front porch – one of the small details Disney likes to surprise us with – and told my wife that, when I retire, I’ll sneak into the park and replace him with myself to while away my golden years. She, being practical, wondered how I’d eat and get my groceries. Now, instead of enjoying my mini-fantasy, I’m trying to figure out the logistics of my retirement plan! Oh, well….
We disembarked in ToonTown and headed to Future World for a crack at Buzz Lightyear (I had previously obtained our FastPasses). We got on quickly, and soon I was mowing down aliens left and right. My score easily surpassed my wife’s paltry number, but I still didn’t quite reach Space Ace (or whichever starts at 300,000). But, I really don’t have to try anymore: I’ll never top my all-time score of 999,999. Yes, you read the right score: 999,999. How did I do it? you might ask. Perhaps I’ll clue you in some other day. Suffice it to say, I’ll never be beaten.
My wife had never enjoyed the comedy stylings of Mike Wazowski, so we spent some time hoping the camera wouldn’t stop on us. I wasn’t “that guy,” so enjoyed the show.
After helping Buzz defeat Zorg and the monsters store energy, we did a little shopping, took some pictures, and checked to see if we could get in to Tony’s Town Square Restaurant. Within 5 or so minutes, we were sitting at our table with the Disney faithful cavorting out front. I had eaten here on Thanksgiving a few years ago and discovered a delicious tomato-based sauce with pesto for dipping; unfortunately, they no longer have it (and what they do have is – some oil-based sauce – is only available for dinner). My wife’s seafood linguine was very good, she said (I didn’t taste it), but my chicken parmiggiano was only fair. Still, it was an enjoyable lunch and would tide us over nicely until our special dinner: California Grill!
The afternoon was spent checking on Perry – twice – and napping. We ignored the parks tonight, instead opting to arrive at The Contemporary early. We toured the monorail resorts – my wife wants to eat at ‘Ohana – then settled in for a fine dining experience at California Grill. Since our timing was excellent, we watched the fireworks from the restaurant. My wife gets cold at temperatures only slightly below those atop Hades’ head, so the outdoor viewing was cut short; but we found seats inside and all was good.
Dinner consisted of the cheese plate (pricey but tasty), the pork tenderloin (for my wife; the best pork in the history of culinary arts), and the ostrich. This latter selection was mine. I had never tried ostrich before – perhaps those eggs finally hatched on the safari – so decided to give it a whirl. The meat was red and completely unlike typical birds. The texture was similar to flank steak. The taste was different, though, but not gamey. Overall, I liked the dish, although I don’t think it’s on par with the pork.
Finally, the night came to a close and here we are…. Tomorrow will feature a morning without the parks. It’s time to slow down and rest.
I’m often torn between going to the early openings or going to a non-early-park, thinking that perhaps the early opening will draw enough people away from the other parks to make the crowds more bearable. Perhaps this is so when the early park is MK, but probably not when the early park is Studios and the one you’re going to is MK. The point is that the crowds were pretty heavy, or so they seemed. Yet, when I think about all we got done, the crowds must have been somewhat reasonable.
We started with POTC; only one flash went off the entire boat ride, so I count myself fortunate. Next was Splash Mountain, which remains one of my all-time favorites even after all these years. A first-timer from Albany, New York was ahead of us, and she laughed like it was the greatest thing in the world (which is close to right). With a FastPass for Big Thunder, we headed to Haunted Mansion (with a break for corn dogs along the way; great breakfast, huh?). I really love the updated version. Yes, a lot remains the same, but there’s enough new that it now seems packed with cool special effects. Small World was easy to get on, so we did it next, then Mickey’s Philharmagic. Philharmagic characterizes Disney at its best: technically outstanding, great music, lots of humor, immersive experience, mood, color, and more. It’s one of my very favorite experiences at WDW.
Finally, we went back to Big Thunder (I didn’t mind back-tracking too much since I’m trying to walk off a few of the calories from the trip). I couldn’t coax my wife onto Everest yesterday, but she tackled this wild-west extravaganza, screaming for most of it. We then took the easy way to travel, sitting comfortably in the train as it headed to ToonTown. I spotted an old codger sitting on a chair on his front porch – one of the small details Disney likes to surprise us with – and told my wife that, when I retire, I’ll sneak into the park and replace him with myself to while away my golden years. She, being practical, wondered how I’d eat and get my groceries. Now, instead of enjoying my mini-fantasy, I’m trying to figure out the logistics of my retirement plan! Oh, well….
We disembarked in ToonTown and headed to Future World for a crack at Buzz Lightyear (I had previously obtained our FastPasses). We got on quickly, and soon I was mowing down aliens left and right. My score easily surpassed my wife’s paltry number, but I still didn’t quite reach Space Ace (or whichever starts at 300,000). But, I really don’t have to try anymore: I’ll never top my all-time score of 999,999. Yes, you read the right score: 999,999. How did I do it? you might ask. Perhaps I’ll clue you in some other day. Suffice it to say, I’ll never be beaten.
My wife had never enjoyed the comedy stylings of Mike Wazowski, so we spent some time hoping the camera wouldn’t stop on us. I wasn’t “that guy,” so enjoyed the show.
After helping Buzz defeat Zorg and the monsters store energy, we did a little shopping, took some pictures, and checked to see if we could get in to Tony’s Town Square Restaurant. Within 5 or so minutes, we were sitting at our table with the Disney faithful cavorting out front. I had eaten here on Thanksgiving a few years ago and discovered a delicious tomato-based sauce with pesto for dipping; unfortunately, they no longer have it (and what they do have is – some oil-based sauce – is only available for dinner). My wife’s seafood linguine was very good, she said (I didn’t taste it), but my chicken parmiggiano was only fair. Still, it was an enjoyable lunch and would tide us over nicely until our special dinner: California Grill!
The afternoon was spent checking on Perry – twice – and napping. We ignored the parks tonight, instead opting to arrive at The Contemporary early. We toured the monorail resorts – my wife wants to eat at ‘Ohana – then settled in for a fine dining experience at California Grill. Since our timing was excellent, we watched the fireworks from the restaurant. My wife gets cold at temperatures only slightly below those atop Hades’ head, so the outdoor viewing was cut short; but we found seats inside and all was good.
Dinner consisted of the cheese plate (pricey but tasty), the pork tenderloin (for my wife; the best pork in the history of culinary arts), and the ostrich. This latter selection was mine. I had never tried ostrich before – perhaps those eggs finally hatched on the safari – so decided to give it a whirl. The meat was red and completely unlike typical birds. The texture was similar to flank steak. The taste was different, though, but not gamey. Overall, I liked the dish, although I don’t think it’s on par with the pork.
Finally, the night came to a close and here we are…. Tomorrow will feature a morning without the parks. It’s time to slow down and rest.